Electrical socket for selectively supplying different voltages



Aug. 11, 1970 A. N. TSERGAS ELECTRIQAL SOCKET FOR SELECTIVELY S UPPLYINGDIFFERENT VOLTAGES Filed NOV. 5, 1967 I INVENTOR.

756 f lax w 1am ATTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 307112 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical socket which includes a switchthat may be selectively actuated by a plug is disclosed.

This invention relates in general to an electrical outlet socket and inparticular to a novel socket in combination with a switch that may beselectively energized by a plug.

It is sometimes desirable to connect various appliances and circuits todifferent voltages. The novel electrical socket of this inventioncontains a switch that may be actuated dependent on the particular pluginserted into it.

It is an object of the present invention therefore, to provide a novelelectrical outlet socket with a switch which may be selectivelyenergized by an electrical plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved electricalsocket and an associated plug which will selectively energize a circuitassociated with the socket when a particular plug is inserted into thesocket.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision for an electricalsocket formed with an actuating plunger for energizing a secondarycircuit which may be either independent or associated with the circuitof the socket. A plug of varying configuration either actuates thesecondary circuit or leaves it in its existing condition depending onthe shape of the plug being utilized.

Further features, objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from the following description and claims when read in view ofthe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the electrical socket of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the socket of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a plug which does not actuate the switchassociated with the socket;

FIG. 4 illustrates a plug which actuatcs the switch associated with thesocket; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the secondary circuitassociated with the plug of this invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional wall box which supports the novelsocket 11 of this invention. The socket 11 comprises a centralinsulating portion 12 which is formed with extending arms 13 and 14which may be attached to the box 10 by screws 15 and 16. The screws arereceived in brackets 17 and 18 attached to the walls of the box, asshown in FIG. 2. The socket portion 12 is formed with a pair of poweropenings With electrical contacts 19 and 20 mounted therein. A groundedcontact 21 is also mounted in the central portion 12 of the socket.

An actuating plunger designated generally as 23, is mounted in portion12. The plunger 23 passes through a central opening that extends fromone side of the plug 12 to the other and forms an engaging cam portion24 on one end and a switch actuator portion 26 on the other end. The camand actuator portions 24 and 26 may be threaded or otherwise attached toa central shaft 27 of the actuator 23. A first portion 28 of the centralopening through the socket 12 is enlarged so as to 3,524,0172 PatentedAug. 11, 1970 receive the switch actuator portion 24 within its confineswhen the plunger 23 is depressed. A second enlarged portion 29 is formedadjacent the actuating portion 26 in the socket. A spring 31 is mountedbehind the cam portion 24 and rides against a shoulder 32 formed in thecentral Opening of the socket so as to bias the actuator to the leftrelative to FIG. 2.

A switch 33 is attached to the wall box 10 behind the socket 12. Theswitch 33 has an actuator 34 which is in alignment with the plunger 23such that the portion 26 engages it to actuate the switch when theplunger 23 is depressed.

A pair of plugs 39 and 40 may be utilized with the socket of thisinvention. The plug 39, for example, may be utilized to applyconventional voltage (say volts) to a load. It has a grounding prong 41and a pair of power supplying prongs 42 and 43. The plug 40 has agrounding prong 44 and a pair of power prongs 45 and 46. The plug 40 isalso formed with a central depression 47 which fits over the switchactuator 24 so that the switch actuator 24 does not move against theswitch contact 34 to close it when the plug 40 is inserted into theoutlet socket 11. Plug 39, on the other hand, moves the plunger 23 tothe left relative to FIG. 2, when inserted into the socket because thereis no mating opening for the plunger 23.

The schematic diagram of FIG. 5 illustrates the novel socket and plugarrangement of this invention. Lines 48, 49 and 50 may be connected to apower supply so that 110 volts exists between lines 48 and 49, andbetween lines 49 and 50, whereas 220 volts exists between lines 48 and50. Line 48 is connected to the socket contact 19 in the socket andcontact 20 is connected to the movable contact 51 of the switch 33. Inthe first position the first stationary contact 52 of the switch isconnected to the line 50 and the contact 53 is connected to the line 49.

When the plunger 23 is depressed by plug 39, the switch contact 34 movescontact 51 to engage the contact 53 and this connects 110 volts betweenthe socket contacts 19 and 20, thus applying 110 volts to the loadthrough prongs 42 and 43.

On the other hand, when a plug 40 formed with an aligned opening 47 isinserted into the socket 12, the switch actuator 24 will be receivedinto the opening 47 and the switch 23 will remain in the position shownin FIG. 5. Under these conditions 220 volts will be applied to thesocket contacts 19 and 20 and to the load through prongs 45 and 46. Itis to be realized that the switch 33 has a spring, not shown, whichbiases actuator 34.

The plug 39 is a conventional plug having power prongs and a groundingprong so that the socket may be used in a conventional manner to supply110 volts. The special plug 40 with the opening 47 will be attached toloads requiring 220 volts. Due to the opening 47, the user cannotconnect the wrong voltage to a device.

It is to be realized, of course, that the plunger 23 may control asecondary circuit associated with the switch 33 without necessarilychanging the potential applied to the load connected to the plug, butsuch modifications would be within the normal skill of the art.

Although this invention has been described with respect to preferredembodiments, it is not to be so limited, as changes and modificationsmay be made which are within the full intended scope as defined by theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electrical socket for receiving a standard power plug having agrounding prong and power prongs or a non-standard power plug having agrounding prong and power prongs, said socket formed with spaced powerice contact.openings'containing power contacts and which align with thepower prongs of the standard or nonstandard plugs and a groundingcontact opening which aligns with the grounding prong of the standard ornonstandard plug, a spring biased actuating plun er moveably mounted insaid socket and formed with an extending portion which is engaged bysaid standard power plug to move it when it is inserted into saidsocket, and said non-standard plug formed with a depression aligned withsaid extending portion when said plug is inserted into said socket sothat said plunger is not moved when said non-standard plug is insertedinto said socket.

2. An electrical socket according to claim 1 comprising a switch mountedadjacent said socket and formed with a moveable contact and said plungerengageable with said moveable contact to position it.

3. An electrical socket according to claim 2 comprising three powerlines with one connected to one of said power contacts of said socket,said switch formed with two stationary contacts which are connected tothe other two power lines, and the moveable contact of said switchconnected to the other of said power contacts of said socket such that astandard power voltage is applied to a standard power plug and anon-standard power voltage is applied to a non-standard power plug.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, PrimaryExaminer D. SMITH, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 200-51.09

